St. Paul's Basilica in Rabat stands above the grotto where, according to tradition, the Apostle Paul lived after his shipwreck in Malta in 60 AD. One of the oldest places of worship on the island.
According to the Acts of the Apostles (chapters 27–28), in 60 AD the ship carrying the Apostle Paul to Rome was wrecked off Malta's coast during a storm. Paul and the other 275 survivors lived on the island for three months. Tradition holds that the Apostle stayed in a grotto beneath Rabat (today known as St. Paul's Grotto), and a church above the grotto has commemorated this event since the earliest centuries of Christianity in Malta.
The first chapel on this site was probably built in antiquity. The current baroque church dates from the 17th century, though it has been rebuilt multiple times. The basilica stands in the centre of Rabat, directly above St. Paul's Grotto, which is reached by stairs from inside the church. The grotto is one of the oldest places of worship in Malta.
St. Paul's stay had enormous consequences: according to tradition, he converted the Roman governor Publius, who became Malta's first bishop. This is why Malta considers itself one of the oldest Christian nations in the world. The basilica in Rabat, alongside the Cathedral in Mdina, is central to this legacy — especially during the celebration of St. Paul's Shipwreck on 10 February, a public holiday in Malta.
Practical tip: Free entry to both the basilica and St. Paul's Grotto below it. Combine with Wignacourt College next door and the St. Paul's Catacombs across the street.
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Rabat center. Visible from the main street.
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Wignacourt College in Rabat — a museum with Mattia Preti collections, papal shoes, and a sedan chair. Underground corridors connect to the catacombs beneath Rabat.
Pastizzi for 50 cents — the best in all of Malta. Explorer Wojtek ordered ten. The only place to receive a 5/5 rating.
St. Paul's Catacombs in Rabat are Malta's largest underground cemetery from 3rd-4th c. AD. Over 1,000 tombs in 2,000 sq m. Agape tables for funerary feasts, shared by Christians, Jews, and pagans.